Festina Lente

Chapter Two: Leaving Rome

23rd of March 1530 - The Vatican, Papal States

Exiting her home for what she felt could be the last time, Clarice held her head high as she made her way to the courtyard followed by a couple of her ladies that had chosen to make the trip to England with her. 

There was no telling when she would be back here, there was no end date given yet for what she was about to do and Clarice doubted that if things went the way her cousin was hoping that she would ever return here. 

"Your Holiness," Clarice greeted coolly, she dropped into an elegant curtsy knowing that he was counting on her to make this work; she had no idea if she would even be welcomed to the English court. 

There was quite a gathering to watch her leave and Clarice felt a lump in her throat as she rose back up; many of them would not miss her and would take advantage of the fact that she was leaving. 

Pope Clement smiled at her as he stepped forward, his arms open as he approached her before he pressed a kiss to each of her cheeks as if he wasn't sending her away like a pig to the slaughter. 

He was acting like there was no ill will between them, Clarice had to wonder if he had always been this good an actor; if she didn't know what he was asking her to do then she too would have fell for his act. 

"I pray that the Lord delivers you safely and that your journey will be successful," Pope Clement said knowing that should this work, then his problems with England would be solved and he would not have to deal with them. 

There was no way that any decision he made would make everyone happy, if he annulled the marriage then he would have to deal with the Emperor who would likely throw him back into his prison again. 

If he did not annul the marriage then he risked alienating King Henry, he would likely do something drastic to get what he wanted and what he wanted was to be rid of Katherine of Aragon. 

"You must write to me often. I am interested to hear what you think of England and the court," Pope Clement instructed, she was to be his eyes and ears while in England; he saw no reason that she would have to hide anything from him. 

If there was one person that he could trust then it was Clarice, she would be able to manage the King of England and perhaps make him see the light instead of being led away from it by his whore.

"I will," Clarice promised, her eyes looking away from Pope Clement to the carriage that would take her all the way to the ocean; then she would sail to England from there, it would take then several weeks to get to England. 

It was not going to be an easy trip, she was dreading the trip since even traveling to France was not easy; she was certain that the trip would be one that she would not forget. 

Pope Clement patted her shoulder before moving aside to allow Ippolito a chance to say goodbye; there was no telling when the siblings would see each other again if his plan went as he hoped. 

"Be careful sister. I will not be able to help you should you find yourself in trouble there," Ippolito murmured wrapping his arms around her, his eyes swept the gathering knowing that anyone here could be their downfall. 

The two of them had lost so much and now only had each other, he doubted that the news of Clarice leaving would not have attracted unwanted attention. 

While she might have only been given a couple of days to put her affairs in order before she was too leave, people had been whispering about the fact that she was being sent to England. 

The Medici had been once been a great source of power in Florence and if it were not for their uncle then things would have remained that way instead, they had been overthrown and cast out of their home.